Detachable brake beam support



May 12, 1959 c. L. KLASlNG, JR 2,386,146

I DETACHABLE BRAKE BEAM SUPPORT Filed Feb. 4, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 12, 1959 c. 1.. KLASIING, JR

DETACHABLE BRAKE BEAM SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1954 May 12,'1959 c. L. KLASING, JR I 2,886,146 DETACHABLE BRAKE BEAM SUPPORT I Filed Feb. 4 1954 s Sheets- Sheet a r" 4% M Mf United States Patent 1) 2,886,146 r DETACHABLE BRAKE BEAM SUPPORT Charles L. Klasing, Jr., Joliet, 111. Application February 4,1954, Serial No; 408,065 6 Claims. c1. ms-219.1

The invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to the brake-beam and its mounting in a unit type of truck.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means for demountably supporting a brake-beam to facilitate its removal from and replacement on a unit truck to expedite replacement of a brake-beam or a brake-shoe head.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for demountably supporting a brake-beam which is slidably supported on and between the side frames of the truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for dernountably securing the brake-shoe heads on the brake-beam.

Other objects will appear from the detailed description. The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter described and more particularly defined by 1 in each end of the brake-beam; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the key retaining the tractable bolt;

Fig. 8 is a fractional view of the bottom wall of the socket in each end member of the brake-beam;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 99 of Fig. 10; Fig lO is a section taken on line 1010 of Fig. 9; and 1 t Fig. 11 is a sectiontaken on line 1111 of Fig. 10. The invention is exemplified in a-railway car truck of the type which is generally known as a unit truck, and comprises: a pair of side-frames, generally designated 20, each including a compression member 23, a tension Fig. 6 is a perspective view. of one of the slidable bolts which is pivotally connected bya pin 38 to strut 36. A brake head, generally designated 40, is demountably supported at. each end of each brake-beam and a brake-shoe 44 is demountably secured by a key 45 on each of said heads in accordance with standard practice. Each brakebeam is slidably supported from and between the sideframes 20. t

Each end member 39 of beam 30 is provided with a socket 41 which is rectangular in cross-section and has an open outer end. Bolts 42 of conforming cross-section are insertable into and slidably and. non-rotatably fitted in sockets 41 to function as retracable extensionmenrbers for demountably supporting beam 30 in guideways 54 on the inner faces of side-frame 20. Each guideway .54 includes flanges 54a at its top, bottom and inner end and a liner 55a of .wear metal channel-shaped in cross-section and confined between said flanges. Each bolt or extension-member 42 is slidable in its socket 41 so that itsouter end will extend into a guideway 54' to support the brake-beam for transverse sliding movement to- Ward the car-wheels:and for its retraction from the guideway to release said beam so it can be dropped from the truck. Extension-members or bolts 42 are each releasably locked in the beam by means of a pin 58 which has a shank adapted to extend through an elongated slot 59 in the top-wall of socket 41, a hole 60 in said member 42 and a hole 61in the bottom wall of socket 41, and a head 63 at the upper end of said shank. When member 42 is retracted intofsocket 41, the lower end of pin 58 extending through the inner end of slot 59 and hole 60 in member 42 will rest and be supported on the bottom wall of socket 41. The pin 58 can then be moved outwardly in slot. 59 until the lowerend of said pinregisters with hole 61 in thebottom-wall of socket 41 whereupon said lower end ofsaid pin will pass through hole 61 in the bottom wall of socket 41 and lock said pin and said member 42 against sliding movement in the brake-beam. When pin 58 is lifted sufliciently to withdraw its lower end from hole. 61 into the hole 60 in member 42, said pin will .be released so it can by means of the head 63 be retracted fromguide 54 to release the brake-beam from the. side-frame. Slot 59 permits pin 58 during and after retraction to be retained in bolt or member 42. This construction slidably and retractably supports members or bolts 42 for demountably supporting the brake-beam member 24, a pair of columnar members 25 between the compression and tension members; a bolster, 28 having each of its ends supported between a pair of the columnar members 25; apair of axles 22, each mounted in journal: boxes 26 on the side-frames; a pairof car wheels 29 on each axle, and a spring plank 27, all of which may be e and its parts on the truck for easy rep-air or replacement.

Each brake-shoe head 40 includes a body 46 on which the, brake-shoe 44 is fitted, integral upper and lower flanges 47 which slidably fit the top and bottom faces of the endmember 39 of the beam which is rectangular in 1 cross-section. The. back face portion 49 of the brakeshoe head abuts against. the contiguous face 50 of endmember 39 of the brake-beam. 'The edges at one side of the top and bottom flanges 47 slidably fit cross-ribs 51 on the outer end of the top and bottom walls of member 39 respectively, and the opposite side edges of top and bottom flanges 47 slidably fit the ribs 52 and the end of ribs 53 on the top and bottom of end-member 39. The outer end margins .of upper and lower flanges 47 fit into channels 54 which are formed in ribs 55 at one side of and on the top and bottom of end-member 39, respectively. Pin 58 also extends through open-ended notches 62 in the upper and lower flanges 47 of head 40, and is adapted to lock said head against sliding move ment off the end-member 39. When the pin 58 is lifted out of the end-member 39 and slots 62, the head 40 will be free so its flanges 47 can be slidably shifted transversely ofi. the beam to disengage the said. flanges from ribs 51, 52 and 53, and to withdraw the ends of said flanges from channels 55. Inthis. manner, the head 40 maybe readily. demounted from the beam. 1 t

'notches..62nand coacts- -with ribsvSljand 53 to .demountably lock the brake-head against transverse and 'longitudinal movement on the brake-beam. Arib or .lug 73 holds the head 63 against rotation. A- key 65 formedof -a resilientstriphas a leg 66 .whichextends throughnotches 67 in the top of the socket 41 in end-member '39, and

.a slot 68 in the bottom of said socket, a bend 774) which is adapted to resiliently engage one edge of slot 68, a v,

bend 71 which is adapted to resiliently engage the:inner end of. bolt .42, and a top-flange 69 adapted to engage the top of the'head 63 for holding the pin 58 in its operative position. If desired, the lower unit of pin 58 may be provided with a tongue 71 which is bendable into engagement with the lower flange 47 for additionally securing said pin against displacement.

The end-members 39 of the brake-beam, bolts 42, the devices for demountably securing said heads on said members, and the devices for locking and shifting said bolts, are alike in construction.

The operation will be as follows: When the railway truck is in operation, the bolts 42 will be locked in the sockets 41 in the end-members 39 of the brake-beam, and theirouter ends which project therefrom will be slidable in the guideways on the side frames for slidably supporting the brake-beam between the side-frames for movement toward the treads of the car wheels for engaging the brake-shoes with the treads of said wheels and for movement away from said treads to release the brakeshoes. The brake-shoes are secured by keys 45 to the brake-shoe heads 40 and the latter are locked by pins 58 to move with the brake-beam.

When it becomes necessary to replace a brake-beam or a brake-head on account of Wear or damage, or to make any repair to the brake-beam or parts thereon, it is important to facilitate and expedite the work of replacement or repair to reduce the delay which interrupts the service. The invention provides for readily dropping the brake-beam and the attached brake-heads below the side-frames where the heads 40 and brake-beams'are accessible for expediting their removal and replacement. If desired, the dropped beam and parts thereon may be removed from under and transversely of the truck. This feature is especially advantageous in a unit truck because it is not necessary to disturb the side-frames to effect removal of the brake-beam. Whenever the brake-beam is to be dropped from the truck, the keys 69 for the retractable bolts 42 on said beam are removed to release the pins 58. The heads 63 on said pins are then lifted until the lower ends of said pins are withdrawn from holes 61 in the bottom of the sockets 41 and then shifted inwardly to the inner ends of slots 59. This will retract the bolts 42 in sockets 41 and withdraw said bolts from the guideways on the side-frames 20 and release the brake-beam so it will be free to drop between the side-- frames. The brake-beam may be disconnected from the brake-rigging at pin 38, if necessary, so the beam and parts thereon may be removed from under the truck. if one of the brake-shoes or heads 40 on a brake-beam is to be replaced, the head on the opposite end of the beam may be locked on the beam by its pin 58 during the repair. Upon withdrawal of pin 58 from the endmember 39 and the slots 62 in the flanges 47 on the head 4% on said member, said head will be released to slide transversely of and off the beam. The flanges 47 of head 40 for'replacement can be slipped on the end-member and said head will be locked on the beam when the pin 58 is. replaced. Any other repair of or part on the brake-beam may be made while the brake-beam is separated from the truck.

When any desired replacement or repair has been made on the brake-beam, the bolts .42 will be retracted, the

beam with the replaced brake-shoes or heads thereon will be lifted between the side-frames 20 to position said bolts for entering the guideways in liners a. The bolts 42 will be shifted so their outer ends will enter channels 55 and slidably and operatively support the beam in the truck. The keys 65 will then be inserted in the end-members 39 for securing the pins 58 against displacement during service.

The invention exemplifies a railway car truck of the unit type which includes improved means for demountably and slidably supporting a brake-beam between the side-frames in such manner that the'beam may be quickly dropped or removed for conveniently making replacements on or repairs to the beam or the parts carried thereby, :without disturbing the side-frames.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims'without departing from the spirit and'scope of'the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what'I claim as "new and desire to secure 'by'Letters Patent is:

-1. In a railway car truck including side-frames provided with guideways, a brake-beam provided with endmembers having sockets therein, and bolts slidable in the sockets, movable to extend into said guideways for slidably supporting the'beam andretractablefrom said guide- Ways to release the beam from the side-frame, pins for locking the bolts in their extended position, the 'pins being movable laterally with and vertically slidable in the bolts, the end-members being provided with means for holding the pins raised when the bolts are retracted, and slidably supporting the pins until the bolts are extended,

' for release into locking position, and keys adapted to extend through the bolts and end-members for locking the bolts in the sockets and provided with means for retaining the pins in locking position.

2. A railway car truck comprising: side-frames provided with guideways on their inner sides, a brake-beam between said side-frames provided with open-ended sockets in its ends, bolts movable in said sockets and constituting retractable and extensible members for demountably supporting the brake-beams in said guideways, the sockets each having a top-wall with an elongated slot and a bottom wall with a hole, removable pins vertically slidable in the brake-beam and the bolts and movable in the slots for entering said holes and locking the bolts in their extended positions, the pins being movable vertically out of said holes into position to slide on said bottomwall, for retracting the bolts in the sockets.

3. A railway car truck comprising: side-frames provided with guideways on their inner sides, a brake-beam between said side-frames provided with open-ended sockets in its ends, bolts movable in said sockets and constituting retractable and extensible members for demountably supporting the brake-beams in said guideways, the sockets each having a top-wall with an elongated slot and a bottom wall 'with a hole, and removable pins vertically slidable in the brake-beam and the bolts provided with heads at their upper ends, and movable in the slots for entering said holes and locking the bolts in their extended positions, said heads of the pins being movable vertically to lift the lower ends of the pins out of said holes into position to slide on said bottom-wall, for retracting the bolts to retain them connected to the brake-beam.

4. A railway car truck comprising: side-frames provided with guideways on their inner sides, a brake-beam between said side-frames provided with open-ended sockets in its ends, bolts supported in said sockets constituting retractable and extensible members for demountably supporting thebrake-beam in said guideways, brake-heads provided with means removably interfitting with the brake-beam adjacent its ends, removable pins slidably. supported in the brake-beam adjacent its ends,

said pins extending through the bolts andengagi-ng said brake-heads for demountably securing the latter on the brake-beam, and resilient keys frictionally received on the brake-beam ends and engaging said pins for retaining the latter in their operative positions.

5. A railway car truck comprising: side-fra1nes provided with guideways on their inner sides, a brake-beam between said side-frarnes provided with open-ended sockets in its ends, bolts supported in said sockets constituting retractable and extensible members for demountably supporting the brake-beam in said guideways, brakeheads provided with integral flanges straddling and removably interfitting with the brake-beam adjacent its ends, removable pins slidably supported in the brakebeam adjacent its ends, said pins extending through the bolts and engaging said flanges for demountably securing the latter on the brake-beam, and removable keys frictionally received on the brake-beam ends and having laterally turned ends engaging said pins for retaining the vided with guideways on their inner sides, a brake-beam between said side-frames provided with open-ended sockets in its ends, bolts supported in said sockets constituting retractable and extensible members for dernountably supporting the brake-beam in said guideways, brakeheads provided with flanges having notches formed therein, said flanges straddling and removably interfitting with the brake-beam adjacent its ends, removable pins slidably supported in the brake-beam adjacent its ends and extending through the bolts and notches for dernountably securing the flanges on the brake-beam, and removable keys frictionally received on the brake-beam ends and engaging said pins for retaining the latter in their operative positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nethercott July 7, 1891 Johnson et a1. May 10, 1949 

